How the Lakers can defy playoff history

The Lakers are trying to become the first team to win the last two games on the road in the NBA Finals since the league installed a 2-3-2 format in 1985.

A challenge? Definitely. Impossible? Not at all.

This is definitely the biggest test of Phil Jackson's coaching career, but it's not an unfamiliar one. Just look back at Jackson's previous championship teams. Their title runs were loaded with pressure postseason road victories.

His Chicago teams earned key wins at New York, Detroit and Utah en route to six NBA titles, and his Lakers won big games at Portland, Sacramento, Indiana and Philadelphia in their three championship runs.

These Lakers will have to win back to back at TD Banknorth Garden, starting with Game 6 tonight. But here's a rough blueprint on how they could do it:

* Start strong: The Lakers won playoff games at Denver, Utah and San Antonio by getting an early lead and making the home team play catch-up. That has to happen again against the Celtics.

And this is where Lakers forward Vladimir Radmanovic needs to step up and earn his paycheck.

Boston will be trying to keep Kobe Bryant from taking over early. The key for the Lakers will be ball movement. If they are patient and willing to make the extra pass from one side of the court to the other, the Celtics' defense will be vulnerable to Radmanovic's long-range shooting. But the streak shooter will have to make every shot count.

* Don't get Pierced: If there were any questions about the heart and skills of Boston's Paul Pierce, they've been answered in the Finals. Pierce has dominated the Lakers, who have tried at least five defenders against him with limited success.

By now, the Lakers should know that even though Pierce is right-handed, he loves to go left on quick drives to the basket. Somehow, that part of the scouting report has been lost on Radmanovic, Luke Walton, Trevor Ariza, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and even Bryant.

Whoever defends Pierce in Game 6 has to be determined to play straight up and not cheat over to his right hand. That means the Lakers have to move their feet on the perimeter and stop reaching for steals.

A tough job for sure, but it's something the Lakers must do to force Pierce to shoot from the perimeter early in the game. The Lakers simply cannot let Pierce find his rhythm with drives to the basket.